New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-11
MINOR NOVELS.
POLITICS. MAGIC, MYSTERY AND MORMON
ISM

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418. Boston: Roberts Brothers
| THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY. From the Diary OF In
spector Byrncs BY JULIAN HAWTHORNE A@"o' PIP
235. Cassell * Co.
| The interest in Frederick Hazzleden Is main
tanned principally by the deft use of topics OF I'M
mediate public interest The hero Is the son OF an
| English country gentleman; and, standing 1or
| Parliament as q LIBERAL in the town OF DocReor-
ouch" where tho Liberals have hardly even
fighting chance he Is unexpectedly returned oY
means OF the Irish vote swung to his side by ageh
| cies which he never quito understands. But IL Is
the time of Mr.. Gladstones fight for Home Rule,
and the novelist introduces US to private meeting
Of the DocKborough branch Of the Irish Reform
League. on tho eve Of the election, at which the
| mvstery is made plain enough to the reader. Inc
| debate in this eutocratc body upon tho question
whether their followers shall be instructed 10 vote
| for the Tory or tho Liberal candidate is very
| cleycry descibed, and tho suspicion and dislike
with which the great English Minister IS secretly
| regarded By Irshmen for whose cause he Is doing
| battle arc vivldly illustrated. The author SPEAKS
very plainly of the suferings of Ireland, Dut 10
hardly takes sufficient account OF the effect Oh CEN
turiss of wrong in explaining and just'fying tho
people, 1t is not true that Irish patriotism is at
| bottom n hatred of England more than love oil
Ireland; but tho two sentiments are naturally and
Inevitably nited, as love and hatred always have
been and must be when people rebels against
| foreign oppression. dynamite conspirator fr"m
! America named OConnor, accompanied by his boau-
tiful. innocent high-mipdsd snd patriotic sister,
whom he uses q decoy without revealing 10 her
his villanous schemes, becomes prominent actor
t.neh Arfl
| taste the pleasures of life in the House of Com
| mons when, without any fault OF his own he hnds
himself implicated in the proceedings OF these per-
| sons The dilemma to which no is reduced when
| the duty of preventing a crme comes IN sharp
conflict with his tender interest in Mary OConnor'
who will certainly be sent 10 penal servtude II lie
tells what he has discovered is well designed anu
the agonies and perplextics of the situation are
treated with great deal of force. The denoue-
msut includes an attempt to blow up Westminster
| Abbey the escape Of OConnor, 10 perish later by
private vengeance, and the death OF Mary IN prison
| while awaiting trial. As for Hazzleden, MS
| troubles are wiped out, embarrassments removed.
| and future happiness made by that favorite
| convenience of novelists q brain-feyer lie has
| borne himself like and held our sympathies
| from the first. The story Of which We have given
| an outline is amply aled out with effective
details There are strong descriptions. sketches OF
eccentric character and essays at humor which, IL
| sometimes perfunctory aud Jverabored. include
| nevertheless, sSme genial pages. We have rather
| too much of the ignorance aud bad Language oil the
| vnlgar genteel; and certainly too much oil the
absurd side of religious extravagance in the pews
ana irreligous liberalism IN the pulpit ms
| becomes tresome There is great deal oil canstic
wit however. in tho account OF Mostyn- Mount
| chapel a temple OF extreme enlightenment anu
| broadnesi where attempt to emblazon the Dec&-
lo.ue on panels behind tho pulpit is resented as
uapistcaL aud a crisis is ayerted only by SUBSTITUTE
| ing Hold the Fort for the Zen Comman lments.
| A mysterious parsonage called Arntie. who re-
| minds one of Lord Beaconsdeld and displays some
| remarkable accomplishments, including mild
variety o.. reading ptrvades tho story WIN
ont PLAYING large part in il. and keeps our cnrios
ity on tho stretch. The solution of this dark-huei
rid lilo is hardly satisfactory. lie Is rlch Amert
car, with slight dash OF negro blood in his veins
| and an adopt in the magic Voodolsm which seems
| 10 have been communicated to him IN some occult
way by tho slaves on the Louisiana plantation
where he passed his childhood. Arntte Is a melo-
| dramatic device which docs not harmonic with
the rest OF the tale and the use made OF him Is not
sufficient TO Justify the creation OF such An inpos'
| ing figure This, however, is not great blomish
| upon what must be called. as q whole smart
| lively, entertaining well-made novel
aThraldotn." like Frederick Hazzleden,' makes
| use of negro magic, introducing hideous Obeah
woman from tho West Indies In the midst OF Eng
| Iish country scenes. and allowing her charms and
poisons 10 exert an ill-de6nod induence upon the
| troubles of par of lovers The story turns upon
the ATTEMPT Of a Creole woman to obtain rich and
beautiful vito for her son by mesrneric Influence,
| and the complications of the plot arise out OF the
| unconscious actions of her destined victim while
| under this subugation The son Is an interesting
| gallant. and at heart noble fellow who, until the
| period of the story, has always lived on est
India plantation, totally ignorant OF the world ana
abjoctly obedlent to his mother. His inner In
| stincts arc developed under the stimulus OF love;
and in the determination to sacrifice his desires lot
| the sake OF tho GIRL who cannot but DO wretched
In tue union to which IL "a sought to compel her, he
gains strength Of will to break the spell 80 far as
| IL affects himself. and the mothers power 10 at an
end. This growth Of character 10 the son. rather
than any couuter-de vices of tho girls father and
aianced lover is tho cause of the collapse of tho
| conspiracy. Mr.. Sturgis does not push tho mes
merle theory TO great lengths, for he represents rs
| Vere's control over SiDyl as extending only 10
physical actions performed in state OF trance, all
attempts to subngate her will ha' ine failed with
Gabriel the contrary 10 is the will that has been
subdued but this is only the result of the ascend
| ancy of stronger nature maintained by false
system of education. and the tyranny Is shaken
of as soon rs the birth of passion has awak-
ened new sense of responsibility. A writer with a
taste for psychological subtleties might have e'sb-
Grated this subject indefinitely. Mr. S.urgis cares
mole about telling brisk story than losing him
self in problems OF the soul, and even Gabriel Vero
| is left a hasty sketch What the author has
attempted to do. however he has done well ana
his short tale it is hardly nos civil be eagerly
read through by every body who begins 1t.
| Mr.. Tourgce has changed his venue, as the
lawyers phrase It, His new story is of an old
settlement on Lake Chautauqua, OF the early post
colonial times and Of the beginnings Of Mormon
| ism. The mixture seems odd when so terscly